I think its pretty cool, kind of like a liberal shantytown haha. There were like 50 tents and maybe 150 people milling around, most of them in their twenties or thirties. The whole thing seemed pretty low energy... I probably should have been there friday night. I only saw 7 cops, and they were huddled in a group on the side talking to each other. There was a pretty cool marching band, and thirty-ish people were sitting down in a circle organizing future events. The signs that were around were very disparate; I saw an "end the fed" sign and a bunch of anti-military signs, along with the expected anti-bank/corporation signs... they weren't making very clear demands.

all in all I'm very supportive, but I doubt it will do much. and fuck the NYPD.

Another protest with no direction. Lets make it so people can't get home to Brooklyn? Wait why are we on the bridge again? I bet if you asked each person why they were there they would give you a different answer. Sure, in a metaphorical way that's awesome. The problem is, having absolutely no focus makes you look like a bunch of bored hippies.

This was unanimously voted on by all members of Occupy Wall Street last night, around 8pm, Sept 29. It is our first official document for release. We have three more underway, that will likely be released in the upcoming days: 1) A declaration of demands. 2) Principles of Solidarity 3) Documentation on how to form your own Direct Democracy Occupation Group. This is a living document. you can receive an official press copy of the latest version by emailing c2anycga@gmail.com.

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.

They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.

They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.

They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.

They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.

They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.

They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.

They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.

They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.

They have sold our privacy as a commodity.

They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.

They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.

They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.

They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.

They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.

They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.

They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.

They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.

They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.

They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.

They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.

They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

This was unanimously voted on by all members of Occupy Wall Street last night, around 8pm, Sept 29. It is our first official document for release. We have three more underway, that will likely be released in the upcoming days: 1) A declaration of demands. 2) Principles of Solidarity 3) Documentation on how to form your own Direct Democracy Occupation Group. This is a living document. you can receive an official press copy of the latest version by emailing c2anycga@gmail.com.

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.

They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.

They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.

They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.

They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.

They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.

They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.

They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.

They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.

They have sold our privacy as a commodity.

They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.

They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.

They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.

They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.

They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.

They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.

They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.

They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.

They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.

They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.

They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.

They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*

To the people of the world,

We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

Join us and make your voices heard!

*These grievances are not all-inclusive.

Yeah. All it took was three weeks and 700+ arrests to get this sorted out.

It's a non-protest. Really more of an occupational annoyance. Hitting the symbolic towers of the American economy didn't stop greed and neither will hanging around the symbolic center of American commerce. As if the protesters are keeping stockbrokers from entering the exchange or something. Most of that shit happens online anyway.

Simply protesting general greed and bad business practices is meaningless. You might as well hold a rally against meanness. Making these general grievances against "the corporations" gives the impression that the protesters don't know what they're talking about. A lot of bearded white twenty-somethings in Sharpie-scrawled t-shirts does not represent the face of people that have been disenfranchised by American greed.

I think that even if this protest were mirrored in every major American city, it would have no effect. No one is listening because they look like assholes. Should have occupied Times Square--or even more poignantly, protested at the WTC site and tied that event to current events. But no, it's a lot of white girls in dreadlocks acting indignant that they can't get a Whopper at Burger King.

Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:19 am

firefly

Joined: 27 Sep 2002
Posts: 3990
Location: Montreal

I'm a little more optimistic. I've changed my opinion about protests in the last couple of years - realizing that protesting is acceptance, that real change comes from taking what's yours to begin with, not begging for it back - but this seems like more of a movement then a protest. If this is all it ends up being I agree it won't do anything besides giving the corporate police more practice of controling crowds. But I'm hoping that this is just the begining of something bigger and more practical.

I'm hoping there's some law savy people in this movement. We have to start taking these people to court, pressing charges for their crimes. That's the only way I see real change ever happening.

Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:51 am

jakethesnakeguy who cried about wrestling being real

Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 6311
Location: airstrip one

Reggie wrote:
Yeah. All it took was three weeks and 700+ arrests to get this sorted out.

It's a non-protest. Really more of an occupational annoyance. Hitting the symbolic towers of the American economy didn't stop greed and neither will hanging around the symbolic center of American commerce. As if the protesters are keeping stockbrokers from entering the exchange or something. Most of that shit happens online anyway.

Simply protesting general greed and bad business practices is meaningless. You might as well hold a rally against meanness. Making these general grievances against "the corporations" gives the impression that the protesters don't know what they're talking about. A lot of bearded white twenty-somethings in Sharpie-scrawled t-shirts does not represent the face of people that have been disenfranchised by American greed.

I think that even if this protest were mirrored in every major American city, it would have no effect. No one is listening because they look like assholes. Should have occupied Times Square--or even more poignantly, protested at the WTC site and tied that event to current events. But no, it's a lot of white girls in dreadlocks acting indignant that they can't get a Whopper at Burger King.

Exactly, @OccupyWallStNYC should get with @LulzSec. This is the equivalent of protesting email spam by having a sit-in at the post office.

Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:35 am

Sage FrancisSelf Fighteous

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21671

Reggie,
You probably haven't been following my discourse with random "OccupyWallStreet" folks on my facebook page, but you pretty much summed up everything I've been hinting at. I agree with almost everything you said and I'm still trying to figure this out in a way where I can communicate it to people who are hungry to do something in order to change things. Even though I may not agree with what changes they want made, I like that people have been moved to do *something* and at least get their protest juices flowing. It HAS been an unfocused movement outside of people just being upset in general --upset with government, capitalism, wars, etc.

I'm having a heck of a time understanding the end goal or what the intended change actually entails. I especially don't understand how people expect this change to happen via (as you called it) an occupational annoyance, but maybe that's just their way of airing their general grievances in public in a way that the bankers have to acknowledge? But even then...what does it matter to the bankers?

Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:02 am

crash

Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Posts: 5457
Location: the chocolate city with a marshmallow center and a graham cracker crust of corruption

israel had similar protests this july - mainly in tel aviv but there was sit ins in every major city across the country. at one point i think 1/6th of the population was in the streets. about 85% of israelis approved of what they were doing. they had more specific demands than these wall street protesters but in the end they managed to accomplish very little.

i'm glad to see these protests on the news, but don't get your hopes up. this isn't tahrir.

Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:22 am

Bicycle

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 413

admittedly paranoid and skeptical of all things

I see college kids looking for a nice photo-op. A new facebook status. something to blog about. something to be a part of. Shocked by police brutality as if weren't a totally foreseeable thing. Like they're going to go up against the whole capitalistic system and not run into any opposition.

poor disenfranchised college kids. They have it so rough.

I type "occupy wallstreet" into google and the second entry on the auto search drop down list is "occupy wallstreet radiohead". I turn on the daily show and catch numerous buzzwords relating to revolution. On the commercials too.

debated politics with kids during high school english class. It was the fashionable thing to do. Still is.

I can feel the increasing tension between the two main political ideologies. We got the tea party, now we have their opposition. Should be fun times

Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:31 pm

Jared Paul

Joined: 15 Jul 2002
Posts: 3719
Location: www.PrayersForAtheists.org

People gathering in the streets didn't have any centralized platform of demands in Tunisia or in Tahrir right away either. I'm gonna tread real lightly, and am not looking for any kind of argument.

At the very least, its what Frank said, a positive showing of some juices left to fight.

At best, it's what Cornel West said, this could be the western Arab Spring, it could be a "U.S. Autumn."

But instead of Obama stepping down, he and other legislators might be empowered to buck their corporate sponsors and push for stronger reforms. An attorney general might to decide to risk her or his job by prosecuting a corporation they weren't supposed to prosecute, the light can continue to be shined on police brutality and the militarization of police in general, the prison complex, the military complex, Wall Street corruption, the further crumbling of the two party system, etc., and how it's all connected. There's no telling how many ripples this could cause. It's been said that advancements in social consciousness and political awareness move very slowly for decades and then randomly take huge leaps forward. It's not at all impossible that this could be one of those moments. Occupy Movements have started in a couple dozen other U.S. cities already.

The U.S. people do not determine their government or laws at the highest levels, the corporations do. And right now, even if we don't know how to stop them, this may be the best we've got. To occupy highly visible, strategic places and appeal to our fellow citizens. Wall Street could be ground zero.

*"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it"-George Bernard Shaw

Last edited by Jared Paul on Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:22 pm

firefly

Joined: 27 Sep 2002
Posts: 3990
Location: Montreal

Bicycle wrote: debated politics with kids during high school english class. It was the fashionable thing to do. Still is.

You know what's even more fashionable? Making fun of people who are actually doing something, sitting on your high horse and offering absolutely no solutions yourself. That shit is way lamer then "white chicks with dreadlocks" or whatever stupid hippy insult people are thowing around.

I think this is a reflection of how desperate things are right now. I honestly feel that these movements will continue to grow as long as the world financial situation continues to get worse. The whole 'We are the 99%" mantra makes sense because in the end all we have to do is take what's ours. But as long as we have people either too scared (of losing their job, getting arrested, etc), too comfortable, too negative, etc to actually do SOMETHING, we are never going to see any positive change.

My advice is if you don't have any solutions to offer don't try to knock these guys down. That won't accomplish anything but make yourself feel a little better about yourself.

Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:26 pm

tommi teardrop

Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 2218
Location: Las Vegas

yeah I don't really understand the urge to point out how pointless and decentralized these protests are.

Anything like this happening is something we should be excited about rather than dismissive.

I don't care what the end goal is, if the 99% that have less than the top 1% are at least thinking, "hmmm, this is fucked up," I think that should be welcomed.